Map Journal: San Miguel Unfolds

I signed up for a creative book making class before I left on a Christmas trip to Mexico in order to have something fun to return to during the rainy winter.  I discovered that the line between an Artist Book and Journal can be blurry.  The class inspired me to make a different kind of travel log. This fold out book made from a San Miguel map more became a journal that brings back a lot of lovely memories.  

Being an inveterate collector of ephmera, first I had the fun of collecting stuff during the trip.  Back in class the challenge wondering how to make a book out of a pile of odd pieces was also fun.  



This fold out form invited the process of layering the pages with paint, adding notes, stitching in inserts, overlaying images and words with colored tissues and stamps. 

Flipping through the pages of this advertising map turned book, puts me right back on the streets in San Miguel Allende.  I remember the color of San Miguels bright buildings, narrow streets and crazy traffic. 

The map shows the path to the Escuela where I took a beginner Spanish class for the umpteenth time. 

The X on the map at Casa Mia Suites recalls our lofty hotel room with the view of the church towers and the sound of their all hours, crazy bells. The map shows the  Parroquia, San Miguel's signature pastel pink church and. I remember the beautiful Jardin at the city center where we spent many happy evenings people watching and enjoying the musica.  

Arts are a daily celebration in San Miguel. with drama, music, and festive ceremonies. 


There are endless galleries and street art 
events. Indian ladies offer their wares on the  sidewalks,    


Between the folds in the book are stitched inserts from La Esquina, the fabulous folk toy museum.



I recall lunch at  La Bibioloteca, the lively library and gringo meet up place. 


  

Folded in the book's pages are memories of Cumpanio the elegant bakery restaurant where we had early morning coffee and afternoon snacks.

The pages spark memories of encounters with the sword wielding insurgentes reinacting the city history and eating delicious chilaquiles at the Centro Cultura.  

I remember my amazement at my first encounter with 10 foot Frieda and Diego in the street. As the evening lights come on these huge puppets animate the streets every night.




The inspiration for a journal created from trip ephemera came from Stephanie Jucker who teaches artist book classes at places like the San Francisco Center for the Book and

our College of Marin. Stephanie made her first book by chance when traveling. She met  some book makers at a street fair and got a quick lesson in making a simple pamphlet.    Insipired,  she gathered papers from her trip into a simple book and used the blank spaces to write notes about her journey.  A painter by calling, she has been fearlessly experimenting with book making ever since. From Stephanie, I've learned that for books to tell a story, they don't need words.